


Swimming in the Flood

by notastranger



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Interspecies Sex, M/M, Nonhuman Hermann
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 03:13:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notastranger/pseuds/notastranger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Newton Geiszler returns to the ocean to meet again with the merman who saved his life.</p><p>It is not a date. (Spoiler alert: It is totally a date.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swimming in the Flood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ClassyFangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClassyFangirl/gifts).
  * Inspired by [come away to the water](https://archiveofourown.org/works/996827) by [ClassyFangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClassyFangirl/pseuds/ClassyFangirl). 



> ClassyFangirl kindly gave me permission to write a sequel to her wonderful Herman the merman story which can be found here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/996827

All in all, Newt thought to himself as he sat in the sand on an empty beach, falling off a boat two days ago and almost drowning wasn’t such a bad thing. He hadn’t collected any shark data for his colleague, but Connie felt so guilty that she gave him unlimited access to the squid tank anyway. His lab took him out for drinks to celebrate his not dying, and he now had another story about himself that he could casually share at conferences to show how badass he was.

There was also the matter of having sex with a _merman_.

Newt had kept his promise to Hermann and hadn’t told another soul about him, not even to the rescue crew who found him wandering around and seemed skeptical about how he miraculously washed onto shore. He even briefly wondered if he had dreamed or hallucinated the encounter, but the blue stain on the hem of his shirt was undeniable proof that it _had_ happened, he had done it with a merman and it had been hot and wonderful and strangely sweet and best of all, Hermann wanted to see him again.

At least he hoped so. As the sun dipped below the horizon and stars appeared in the darkening sky, Newt started to doubt. Just over 48 hours ago, he would have sworn on a first edition copy of _On the Origin of Species_ that merfolk did not exist, but now he wanted to learn _everything_ about them.  Where did they live? How did they survive? Hermann’s sleek scaly tail fascinated him (as did his thin, down-turned mouth and elegant cheekbones, just not on a scientific level).  How was it even possible for him to exist?

Newton was enthralled.

But Hermann knew about humans before he met Newt. Maybe he had satisfied his curiosity and didn’t plan to return. He did say that he had broken many rules just by saving Newt’s life…

Newt sighed and looked at the plastic takeout bag next to him. He had brought dinner and dessert like a huge dork. If Hermann didn’t show up, he was going to feel really stupid.

A shape broke the surface of the water before disappearing once more. Newton held his breath and scrambled to his feet as Hermann appeared again near the shoreline. The merman hoisted himself onto the sand and stared up at Newt with dark eyes.

“You came back,” he said in that odd English accent.

“Yep,” Newt replied, trying to keep his heart from leaping right out of his throat. The last time he had seen Hermann had been like a dream; this moment felt like a hyper-reality. “So did you.”

“Of course,” Hermann replied, as if it was foolish for Newt to doubt his word. He pointed to the plastic bag. “What’s that?”

“Oh!” Newton picked up the bag and then scrambled over to Hermann, plopping onto the sand next to him. “It’s food. As, uh, thanks for rescuing me.”

Hermann frowned suspiciously and Newton winced. Had he done something wrong by bringing food? Ugh, he was such a dork. “Hey, if you’re not hungry or don’t want it, that’s fine, it’s just something humans do when they, uh, when they get together, so—“

Hermann placed a hand on Newton’s arm. It was surprisingly warm. “That’s fine. What did you bring?”

Newton pulled out a plastic container of sashimi and Hermann blinked in surprise.  “Humans eat raw fish?” he asked, tapping on the clear cover.

“Some do. It originated in cultures that had access to fresh fish.” He popped off the lid and offered it to Hermann. “I wasn’t sure what your digestive system could handle so I figured I’d get you something you probably already eat.”

Hermann gingerly selected a piece. “The presentation is not what I’m used to, but… this is very thoughtful of you, Newton. Thank you.”

Newton let out a silent breath of relief and took out his own container, but he spent more time pestering Hermann with questions than eating. He learned pretty quickly that anything about merfolk society was “forbidden knowledge” and made Hermann screw up his mouth into an unpleasant scowl, but the merman freely answered what he could about his biology and how his species had managed to avoid detection by humans.

He asked questions, too, about humans in general and Newton specifically. He was not particularly impressed with Newton’s degree in marine biology, calling him to task for assumptions humans had made of the ocean and its inhabitants. Newton argued around mouthfuls of food, gesturing impatiently with his chopsticks and forgetting several times that he was talking to a _freaking_ merman.

Hermann was really smart. It turned Newton on even more than the tail.

Newton cleared away the empty containers and took out another one, pulling off the lid with a flourish. “I brought you some cut-up orange for dessert. An orange is a fruit that grows on a tree—“

“I know what a fruit is,” Hermann snapped in annoyance. He pointed to a slice of chocolate cake that Newt had selected for himself. “What’s that?”

“It’s cake.” Hermann leaned in closer and Newton pulled the container back defensively. “Hey, it’s made with flour and chocolate and a bunch of other ingredients that you’ve never had. I don’t want you to get sick.”

“I want to try it,” Hermann insisted, rolling his eyes at Newton’s worried expression. “For Poseidon’s sake, I’m a grown merman. I also don’t think you are in any sort of position to judge risk.”

God, that prissy mouth was driving him nuts. “Fine, here.” He dug a plastic fork out of the bag and handed it to Hermann. “Just don’t come crying to me if your stomach complains.”

Hermann grabbed the fork without thinking, then stared at it in confusion.

“You use it to eat the cake,” Newton explained, fighting back the urge to laugh as the merman’s expression reminded him of a scene from The Little Mermaid. “Not to comb your hair.”

“Why would I want to comb my hair with this?” Hermann demanded, shaking the fork like a tiny trident.

Newton snickered helplessly before taking pity on the merman. “Let me show you,” he offered and Hermann handed back the fork sullenly. Newton speared a bite of cake onto his fork. “See, just like that. Or, I guess you could eat it with your hands but it would be really messy.”

Hermann looked at the forkful of cake, then Newton expectantly. He felt himself blush. “Ah, here.” He held the bite up to Hermann’s lips. The merman cautiously took the cake into his mouth. His face was so incredibly serious as he chewed and swallowed that Newton had to hold back another laugh. “So? What do you think?”

“It’s very sweet.” Hermann absently licked his lips and Newton tried not to stare. “I’d like another bite.”

Newton speared another bite. “Did you want to…?” he asked, offering the fork, but Hermann just shook his head.

 _Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Merman?_ Newton thought to himself. _Because you are doing an awesome job of it_. He fed Hermann another bite and grinned. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for having a sweet tooth, dude.”

The corner of Hermann’s mouth turned up into a delicate smirk. “There is a lot you don’t know about me, Newton.”

“Is that right?” Newt set the dessert container aside. “Care to enlighten me?”

Hermann’s expression faltered and for a moment Newton worried that he had misread the entire situation (which wouldn’t have been the first time, but screwing things up with a merman that you already had sex with seemed extra humiliating). But then the merman leaned forward and pressed his mouth against Newton’s in an eager, almost comically forceful kiss.

Newton smiled into the kiss, sliding his hands up along Hermann’s bare arms and drawing him into a loose hug. Hermann relaxed in the gentle embrace and eased up on the pressure, his lips parting and mouth softening against Newton’s.

He tasted like chocolate and salt spray and the dark, hidden depths of the ocean. And he was warm, so warm for someone who swam in the water and was half-fish. Or—maybe not fish, Newton shouldn’t assume.

He deepened the kiss and Hermann reciprocated, his tongue moving in careful iterations as he explored Newt’s mouth. Newt drew him closer, running his fingers along the soft, silk-like fin that ran down Hermann’s spine, eliciting a quiet whimper of pleasure from the merman.

“You’re amazing,” Newt murmured against Hermann’s cheek after they both broke apart for air. “How do you even exist?”

Hermann huffed and nipped at Newt’s jaw. “Don’t tease me.”

“I’m not—dude, have you seen yourself?” Newt slid his hands up and over Hermann’s shoulders, caressing the pale, smooth skin. “You have hair, you’re warm-blooded, and I’d bet money that’s a four-chambered heart beating in your chest.” He gently tweaked one of Hermann’s nipples and grinned when the merman squeaked in response. “This all screams ‘mammal’ to me. But then there’s _this_ —“ He ran a finger along Hermann’s spinal fin again, all the way down to where the soft skin turned into scales. “And your _tail_. And the fact that you can breathe underwater—“

“You could say that about any merman,” Hermann muttered, so quietly Newton almost didn’t hear him.

“Are they as gorgeous as you?” Hermann flushed pink and Newt wished he had a camera, that face was _precious_. “Because I don’t think that’s possible, not with your eyelashes and that hot, sassy smirk you’re always giving me—“

Hermann pulled him in for another kiss. “You talk too much,” he breathed into Newt’s mouth before invading it with his tongue.

Newt moaned something in agreement and let Hermann take charge. Things were beginning to feel dream-like again, possibly because of the diversion of blood from his brain to his cock, or maybe because his senses didn’t know what to make of so much concentrated hotness happening to his mouth. He didn’t even realize Hermann had been fastidiously working on pulling off his shirt until it was halfway up his chest. He disentangled himself from the merman’s arms and slipped his shirt over his head, tossing it next to the takeout bag.

Hermann was staring. “There is something on your chest,” he said, brows furrowed.

“Huh? Oh yeah, my giant squid tattoo.” A detailed work he had gotten done after he earned his doctorate – the squid’s body took up most of his upper chest, the tentacles wrapped down his abs and around his sides. “Six hundred pounds of awesome!”

Hermann scowled.

“Or… awful?” Newt swallowed. Shit, what did he do wrong?

“That creature eats our young,” Hermann said icily, as if Newton was supposed to have known this.

“I—I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” He’d gotten flak for the tattoo before; a giant squid could be off-putting to some. He never thought in a million years it could actually be _offensive_. “I got it because I study cephalopods and it’s an interesting creature. I don’t—I don’t _love_ it or anything like that.”

Hermann’s scowl had lessened but his expression was unreadable. Newt turned and reached for his shirt. “I can put my shirt back on if it—“

“Let me look at it,” Hermann said, and damn if that demanding headmaster tone didn’t send a shock of want straight to his groin. He turned back towards Hermann and held still as the merman’s slender fingers traced the outline of the tattoo. The touch was feather-light and Newt had to bite his lip to keep from giggling as his skin broke out in goosebumps.

“Do merpeople practice body modification?” he asked, looking over Hermann’s unblemished skin. “Piercings, ritual scarification, anything like that?”

“Not typically,” Hermann murmured, his attention still focused on the stylized lines and whorls on Newt’s chest. “We mark ourselves, on occasion, after finding a mate…”

 _Oh._ Well, that added a whole new layer of explanation for Hermann’s initial revulsion towards his tattoo. And, also, _gross_. Like he would mate with a squid – sure, he watched a lot of hentai anime during his formative years, but he preferred his lovers to have human-level intelligence, thank you very much.

“I’m not married to a squid,” Newton announced, just in case Hermann needed verbal confirmation. “I eat fried calamari all the time, dude.”Hermann’s reaction was delayed; a soft, lost look in his eyes as his gaze drifted up to Newt’s face, his fingers still mapping out the colorful ink.

Then his lip turned up into a familiar sneer. “You are _rrridiculous_ ,” he trilled, but he wasn’t angry anymore, so Newton pulled him in for an open-mouthed kiss. They weren’t as careful this time, hot and sloppy against one another, almost _needy_ , but Newt liked needy, liked how Hermann veered off-course and planted rough kisses on his chin, his neck, the soft dip of flesh just above his collarbone.

He pulled Hermann closer, practically into his lap, and ran a hand along the scales of his tail. It was smooth like snakeskin – not like a fish, after all – but then why was the caudal fin so similar to—

His thoughts were interrupted by a well-placed lick along the shell of his ear. Newton groaned appreciatively.

“Come with me into the water,” Hermann breathed into his ear.

“What’s wrong with right here?” Newton panted, gently stroking up and down Hermann’s tail, other hand teasing the strands of Hermann’s still-damp hair.

“We’ve already pleasured one another on land, “ Hermann complained, sounding considerably less sultry. “I want to do it in the water this time.”

Newton nearly knocked Hermann over in his hurry to comply, sliding the merman back onto the sand and standing up. “Okay—whoops, sorry – okay, yeah, let’s do that.”

Hermann rolled his eyes affectionately before scootching along the wet, packed sand, letting the gentle tide carry him into chest-deep waters.

Newton slipped off his sandals and undid the fly of his jeans before shoving them off, along with his boxers, and leaving them in a crumpled heap by his shirt.  He stepped into the water and shivered – New England waters were chilly, even on a balmy summer night, and he hoped desperately that his growing erection would stave off the possibility of shrinkage.

Feeling a little shy, he edged further into the water before chancing a glance up. Hermann was staring at his legs, a curious smile tugging at his lips. He swam forward impatiently and pressed curious hands against Newton’s calves, knees, hips – “Can you swim at all?” he asked, twining a finger around a curly lock of pubic hair, brushing his knuckles against Newton’s scrotum.

“ _Yes_.” Newt tried to sound offended, but his voice merely cracked into a heady gasp. “I only almost drowned because—ah!”

Hermann had grabbed Newt around the waist and tugged him forcefully into deeper water. Newt flailed for a moment, a hand reflexively coming up to his face to make sure his glasses stayed on. He felt the merman’s tail coil protectively around a leg. “Don’t worry,” he said soothingly. “I’ve got you.”

Newt let out a nervous breath and laughed. “It’s cool. Just warn me next time, okay?”

Hermann peered at him demurely from under dark lashes and reached down between them. “What is this?” he asked, his hand lightly cupping Newton’s sac.

Okay, Newt was no longer worried about shrinkage. “My testicles. Reproductive organs,” he added in response to Hermann’s blank expression.

“Why are they _outside_ your body? Isn’t that dangerous?”

Newton laughed despite himself. “Yeah, it can be. But the body can’t produce sperm if… if it’s too hot…” Hermann was absently stroking his perineum and the effort of explaining human physiology at the moment didn’t seem worth it. “Forget it. I talk too much,” he admitted before tipping Hermann’s head back and pressing his mouth against that glorious neck.

The water made every touch slippery and intimate. Newton could feel each powerful contraction of Hermann’s tail muscles as it wound its way between his legs, curling up on itself so the caudal fin could gently fan against his buttocks, and he wasn’t sure which sensation was more arousing – skin or scale. He dug his blunt fingernails into Hermann’s lean back and grinded against the sticky blue patch that constituted a merman’s genitals.

Hermann whined high in his throat. “I want to taste you, Newton,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against Newt’s and shutting his eyes. “Down – down there.”

Newton took a long breath and mentally recited the scientific classification of the giant squid. He was _not_ going to come too soon, especially not in front of someone who could control his own orgasm. “That’d be—yeah. That’d be really great.”

Hermann looked down and hesitated. A darker blush bloomed across his already flushed cheeks. “What do I…?”

“Anything you want,” Newton blurted. “Uh—except teeth.”

Hermann chuckled softly and ducked down underneath the water’s surface, his tail adjusting its coil around Newton’s legs to keep him from sinking. Steady hands held firm at Newton’s waist.

Newt felt Hermann’s mouth tease carefully along the length of his cock, lips parted and tongue exploring the sensitive skin, licking curiously at the underside of the glans, before taking the swollen tip into his mouth and sucking experimentally. Hermann’s mouth was hot and _wet_ and oh so careful as it opened wider and took more of Newt inside.

Newt moaned out encouraging words and ran his hands through Hermann’s hair as the merman reinvented the blowjob with impressive skill. An impending orgasm sparked deep in his gut and he didn’t try to fight it, although he wondered if Hermann would need to pause at some point and take a breath of—

Wait.

The water was too dark for Newton to see Hermann clearly, even with his glasses, but he vaguely remembered the three thin slits on either side of his chest that he had lightly skimmed his fingers against earlier that evening.

 _Gills_.

The sudden realization that Hermann could keep his head underwater and pretty much suck Newt off indefinitely built his pleasure up to an unheralded peak. He didn’t have time to warn Hermann before he came with a cry of wordless pleasure, but the merman took it like a champ, swallowing Newt’s load until he was spent.

Newt felt floaty and dazed; Hermann bore his weight and swam him to shore. “Wow… wow, Hermann,” he gasped, lying on his back and breathing hard as if he had been the one swimming. “That was awesome.”

Hermann lay down next to him, smiling softly at the praise. “Yes, that was… I enjoyed that.”

“Hey.” Newton rolled to his side and kissed Hermann’s cheek. “Do… do you want me to reciprocate?”

“No,” Hermann replied quickly, even though his expression seemed uncertain.

“Okay, that’s cool.” He ran a hand along Hermann’s tail. The blue patch of his genitalia was still obvious. “I could just touch you, like last time. Would you like that?”

Hermann nodded, then moaned softly as Newt trailed a finger through the sticky blue substance. “Yes, please, just like that.”

Newton propped himself up on an elbow and gently explored Hermann’s genitalia with his free hand. There was an opening there, more like a slit than a sphincter. Newt wondered briefly if it was a true cloaca or something else, and carefully pressed against it. It opened slightly, wet and warm, just enough for Newt to slide the tip of his finger along the parting seam.

Hermann writhed against his touch and hid his face in the crook of Newt’s arm, lips pressed tight against small sounds of pleasure. Newt continued exploring – Hermann would probably let himself orgasm once he’d had enough, or just tell Newt to stop (although he hoped not the latter, Newt enjoyed giving as much as receiving and he had received plenty).

There was a hard, cartilaginous nub inside the slit. Newt rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger.

Hermann threw his head back, crying out melodically in an alien language, all trills and warbles in a lilting, unearthly cadence. It was the most beautiful thing Newt had ever heard, and he barely noticed the splatter of blue and trembling scales beneath his hand as Hermann came.

He looked at Newt with wide, dazed eyes before hiding his face in Newt’s neck. Newt wiped his hand on his leg before drawing Hermann close and curling around him. He so badly wanted to ask about the strange, musical speech and what he had done exactly to elicit that, but despite what others said about him, Newt knew when to keep his mouth shut once in a while, and now seemed like a good time.

Hermann didn’t say anything either, just huddled close and reached up to card a hand through Newt’s hair.

Eventually, the chill of the water and the cooling night air caught up with Newt. “I need to go,” he said regretfully, fighting back his shivers. “Or at least put my clothes back on.”

Hermann disentangled himself without complaint; his expression was back to its default frown. Newt got dressed quickly, not quite meeting the merman’s gaze. The evening had been incredible, so why did things suddenly seem so weird now?

Ha. He just had mind-blowing sex with a merman and _this_ was the part that was weird.

“Newton,” Hermann said quietly, and Newt dropped back down to sit next to him so quickly that he flinched. “I… ah, considering I have already seen you twice now, would you be amenable to… that is, can we meet again?”

Newt grinned bright with relief. “Of course, dude. Name the time and place and I’m there.”

“ _Here_ , naturally,” Hermann answered, squinting slightly. “In another two days’ time?”

“Yes. Absolutely. I’ll even bring more cake.”

Hermann nudged him in the side with a pointy elbow, but he was smiling. “Very well. I’ll see you then.” He placed a chaste kiss on Newton’s lips before returning to the ocean, disappearing into the dark waters and vanishing without a trace.

Newton stood up, dusting himself off and trying to ignore the warm, tender ache inside his chest.

Two more days. He could wait.


End file.
